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Gene Simmons
Chaim Weitz (born October 19, 1951) is an American rock vocalist, bassist, actor, and reality-show star known by the name Gene Simmons, who appeared in the show Miami Vice as Newton Windsor Blade, the "Sears and Roebuck of controlled substances" who was able to get Crockett and Tubbs an intro with Jimmy Borges (played by Penn Jillette) in the episode "The Prodigal Son". Career Simmons was born in Haifa, Israel, and emigrated to the United States when he was eight with his mother and uncle. He took the name Eugene Klein (Klein being his mother's maiden name) before changing it to Gene Simmons in the late 1960s to honor rockabilly legend "Jumpin' Gene Simmons" (1933-2006). His first band was called The Links, later changed to The Missing Links, then joined The Long Island Sounds and moved on to Bullfrog Bheer. KISS After meeting Paul Stanley in the band Wicked Lester, who recorded one album which was not released, Simmons was unhappy with the sound of the band so he and Stanley left to form "the ultimate rock band", which they did when they brought in Peter Criss and Paul "Ace" Frehley, and the new band called KISS releaed their first album in 1974. Stanley became the lead singer, while Simmons began to market KISS merchandise, such as action figures, games, condoms, trading cards, pinball machine, in 2006 opened the KISS Coffeehouse in Myrtle Beach, SC (closed in 2013), and in March, 2012, the KISS miniature golf course opened in Las Vegas (according to Simmons, the 18th hole is his famous tongue). KISS' concerts became legendary for their theatrics and pyrotechnics, as well as the trademark makeup for each member, and their songs "Rock & Roll All Nite" and "Detroit Rock City" became rock anthems, but by 1983 KISS' popularity was waning. Simmons and the band took the risk to remove their makeup live on MTV that year to coincide with their album Lick It Up and interest in the band rejuvenated. Despite changes in the lineup (Peter Criss & Ace Frehley left the band, then returned, then left again for good after the 1998 Alive Reunion Tour) and the return of their classic makeup, KISS continues to tour and record albums, their most recent in 2012 with Monster. Simmons released (as all of the original band members did) a solo album in 1978. Movie/TV Career Simmons and the rest of KISS made their TV debut in the cult classic film KISS Meets The Phantom Of The Park (with Brion James) in 1978, then appeared in the film Runaway, followed by Never Too Young To Die (with Vanity & Peter Kwong), Trick or Treat, Wanted: Dead Or Alive (with William Russ & Jerry Hardin), The New Guy, Expecting Mary, and Armed Response ''(with Wesley Snipes).. Simmons' TV appearances as an actor (he appeared on numerous variety, music & news shows as a member of KISS) include ''The Hitchhiker (episode with Michael Des Barres), the movie At Any Cost, King of the Hill, Third Watch (episode with Patti D'Arbanville), Castle, Spongebob Squarepants, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (with Paul Guilfoyle and Des Barres), Scorpion, and Angie Tribeca. Reality TV Star Simmons was the creative force behind the reality series Mr. Romance, Rock School, and his own Gene Simmons Family Jewels, the latter featuring the real personal lives of Simmons and his family, which ran from 2006-2012. Personal Life In his early days Simmons had relationships with singing icons Cher & Diana Ross. In 1985, Simmons entered into a relationship with former Playmate Shannon Tweed, and married 26 years later, in October, 2011. They have two children, Nicholas Adam Tweed-Simmons (b. 1989) & Sophie Alexandra Tweed-Simmons (b. 1992). Category:Guest stars Category:Musicians